I dont have any software so if I want to know the calorie content in what I am making then I use fitsmart.com.au. They have a great food database (Australian though) which lists just about any food you'd use and even those you've gotta wonder who DOES use lol, along with there calorie content and a basic breakdown of protein/fat/carb percentage etc.

After I find out what the calorie content of each ingredient is I add it all up. As for the count per serving size, well...I just divide the total calories by however many serves I make out of the recipe.

So for instance I have a muffin batter that totals 2400 calories, it makes 12 muffins so thats 200 calories a serve.

My secret is a program called dietpower *smile* Actually I did everything by hand before I got the software. I would add up the ingredients and divide by number of servings. I tried Mastercook but wasn't thrilled with it. I can enter the exact food I'm eating and not a generic into dietpower. It was pricey but my husband and I both love it.
Amber

Re: Lyria's suggestion
Fitday is also available for us American Girls. Just go to Fitday.com, sign up and you are good to go.
If you have an odd food you like that isn't in the extensive database, you have the option to add it. I've added all sorts of things! (Um, yes, I've added in junk food too--I love DOTS.)

I use Fitday.com. I usually am able to put the food I am in there that I eat and it does the calculations. There is also Calorie Lab Calorie.com. That you can do a search for Calories. I don't eat out so the food I make has calories on the label, and what doesn't these programs help me with. Cheryl

I use nutridiary.com, it's a lot like fitday.com, it just has a different lay out. Most of the time I go straight from the packaging, or I find the specific product online and go from there.

THe problem I'm having is, for instance, when I make chili in the slow cooker I know that there are not going to be exact measured portions of the various ingredients in my bowl...so I usually over estimate how much I'm having...

These programs are also really useful to figure out how much food/kcals you should be eating as well as being able to see how balanced your diet is.

I use nutridiary too, and cook a lot. I don't know if you do this, but I make "meals" and then determine portions (e.g., 2 ladles is 1/4 of my red beans and rice recipe), so I duplicate a new meal as .25 of the original meal and voila! Instant estimation!

The nice thing is, the next time I make the dish, it might be a little different... so I go BACK to the original meal, duplicate it (I put dates on the end of the meal name) and then change the ingredients. This works really well for my homemade salads... cause everytime its a little different. This system makes entering the salad FAST!

It helps that I pay for my membership and have infinite meals I can create.

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My 5 C's of healthy living: Commitment to conscious control, with the understanding that choices have consequences

I use Nutridiary also - for most recipes - like if it's just simple math involved - but only down to about 1/6th of a recipe! Otherwise I also use http://www.nutritiondata.com/. You add foods to your "pantry" and then so easily set how any servings there are in a recipe. This is easier for me when my recipe makes 24 slices. Or 16 pieces. I'm weird I guess, but math wasn't ever my strong point!

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Norathere is no miracle fix. eat less. move more. repeat. the end.
"You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it." -M ThatcherMini Goals:10% Weight Loss (276)| No longer morbidly obese (250)

Nori -- Actually, you can portion things down to very small portions in nutridiary... make a meal and then duplicate it to whatever portion size. 8 portions is .125 (1/8), etc. I don't do the math in my head for everything.

But thanks for the link, the site could be helpful!

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My 5 C's of healthy living: Commitment to conscious control, with the understanding that choices have consequences

Hey thanks for the link about nutritiondata.com!! I use fitday for EVERYTHING but was really getting frustrated when I tried to cook healthy and didn't know what the outcome was. That site (although a bit confusing, in the beginning, to me) really helps. Oh my other half has laughed as I feebly attempted to use the calculator to add it up manually only to get halfway through my list of ingredients and not remember which one I was on! EeGads!

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“Come to the edge, he said. They said: We are afraid. Come to the edge, he said. They came. He pushed them and they flew." --Guillaume Apollinaire